BULGARIA


IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE BPO WILL NOT CARRY OUT AN EXAMINATION ON RELATIVE GROUNDS, EVEN IF THE APPLICANT REQUESTS THIS.


Terms for opposition According to the amended BTL, an opposition can be filed:


• Against a national trademark application within three months from its publication in the Official Bulletin of BPO; and


• Against an international registration that designates Bulgaria between six and nine months from its publication in the Official Bulletin of BPO.


No extensions of these terms are currently available.


Opposition procedure T e new trademark opposition procedure in Bulgaria is similar to the opposition procedure at the Offi ce of Harmonization for the Internal Market.


It should be noted that the BPO will not carry out an examination on relative grounds, even if the applicant requests this. Moreover, the BPO will not:


• Notify trademark applicants of the existence of identical or similar marks that have already been applied for, or registered for identical or similar goods and/or services; or


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• Notify owners of prior marks of identical or similar new trademark applications that are filed for identical or similar goods and/or services.


According to the BTL, a notice of opposition is not acceptable. A complete opposition should be filed at the BPO. It should include all arguments and evidences, including the evidences that show that the prior mark is a well-known mark, if the opposition is based on such a claim. The opposition will then be forwarded to the applicant.


The so-called ‘cooling off ’ period—the three-month term in which the parties involved in an opposition proceeding could come to an agreement—begins on the date that the BPO sends a notification to the parties.


This term can be extended twice and each extension is for three months.


If the parties involved decide to settle an agreement, the opposition proceeding will be closed. If no agreement is reached, the trademark applicant has to reply to the opposition within two months of receiving the BPO’s notification. The applicant’s reply is then sent to the opposing party, which has to respond within one month.


World Intellectual Property Review e-Digest 2012 69


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